Clare Daly (Dublin Fingal, Independent) | Oireachtas source

When international law is ignored, the slippery slope starts and there is a certain irony in the fact that hot on the heels of the attempts of the US State to gift Venezuela to itself against all precedent in Venezuelan and international law, it followed it up with a claim to gift the Golan Heights to Israel. I welcome the fact that on the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's website there appears a statement where the Irish Government says that it upholds its position that the territory of the Golan Heights is Syrian territory and any territory seized through military acts of aggression cannot be recognised and that is the case with what Israel has done in the Golan Heights. However, as Deputy Wallace has just said, why did the US feel secure to be able to sign that nonsensical, illegal declaration on the Golan Heights? It was probably in part as a result of the sitting on the fence of so many nations last year in the UN resolution calling on Israel to withdraw from the Golan Heights. The fact that Ireland abstained in that as one of 66 countries that abstained, is absolutely reprehensible because if the Government is saying an act of aggression is illegal, which it is, then they should withdraw from there. Contrary to what the Minister for Defence says, that is has not destabilised the Middle East, it is quite clear that Trump's actions here have already destabilised the Middle East.

The turning point here in the evasion of international law is the situation in Venezuela. What we have in Venezuela now is a stalemate. There was clearly a belief on behalf of the US about putting forward their puppet, Juan Guaidó, who has no basis of support whatsoever in Venezuelan society, whose group is the minority of the right wing opposition groups and many people on the right wing do not even respect him. The fact that our Tánaiste telephoned this individual, who in his lifetime has probably got fewer votes than I have, to say that the Irish Government supports him as President of Venezuela, really is the slippery slope.

The Tánaiste should account for his actions in making that phone call. It is quite clear now that he has no support in Venezuelan society. The so-called effort to bring in humanitarian aid was a big sham event, and how could it be otherwise when they were supposed to be bringing in $20 million of aid? The US has already seized $500 million belonging to the people of Venezuela. That has been handed over without any democratic accountability to individuals linked with Juan Guaidó. Why have the international community and Ireland not stepped in to say those assets belong to the Venezuelan people? In other jurisdictions such as Brazil and so on, a process was embarked on so that any proceeds from corruption or whatever were given back to the country and the people. In Venezuela, none of this money is going back. It is going to be used to finance guerillas on the border, for illegal mercenary armies to come in and destabilise the situation in Venezuela. It is only the ordinary people who are suffering. That is what we have now.

Last night, the power went out again in Venezuela. It was not the Government of Venezuela that put it out. At best, it is the creaking infrastructure that is a result of the sanctions. At worst it is deliberate sabotage to undermine support for the Government. It is not a perfect Government; nobody is saying it is. There is not one anywhere in the world that I know of. However, what the Government could be doing as a neutral country in the heart of Europe is to say that the idea of winner takes all, which is being promoted by Guaidó and the US, cannot solve anything. Dialogue of all parties is the only way forward. We cannot have dialogue with the gun of starvation being held to people's heads or with the sanctions that are in place. All we are looking for is recognition of international law. The European Union has disgraced itself in being so quick to come behind the US in this illegal manoeuvre in Venezuela. The Government has a chance now to pull back and I am begging those at the heart of the EU to use their position to argue for the adherence of international law and dialogue involving all sides for a resolution in the interests of the Venezuelan people without sanctions and without military intervention.

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